Indus River

Rivers of Pakistan by Aziz Sanghur Part 03.flv

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• published: 01 Jun 2010
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The Indus River is the most important river in Pakistan, and also the longest river. It begins in Tibet and flows into the Arabian Sea. The river system is fed mainly by snow and glaciers of the Himalayas and is one of the few rivers that exhibits a tidal bore. The flow is also determined by the seasons, being lower in winter, and over flowing it's banks in monsoon season, from July to September. The major cities of Indus River Valley Civilization date back to around 3300 BC. Paleolithic sites have been found with the stone tools of cave dwellers dating back 15,000 years. The Indus River delta is one of the driest on the Indian subcontinent, owing to the cyclones from the Arabian Sea. The extensive deforestation, industrial pollution and global warming are affecting the vegetation and wildlife of the delta. The Indus River is the most important water supply for Punjab and Sindh, needed for agriculture and food production for Pakistan. Modern irrigation was begun by the British East Company, in 1850, with the construction of modern canals. This allows them to grow cotton, sugarcane and wheat. Fish farming is also made possible with the canals. It is also the main supply of potable water in Pakistan. SINDHI NATIONALIST According to Sindhi nationalist organizations, the federal government has been constructing dams and barrages on Indus River since the creation of the country. They said that construction of dams and canal, which would play havoc with its agriculture which is already facing a serious threat due to consistent water shortage. They termed these schemes as conspiracy of the establishment against the people of Sindh. The political circles of Sindh said that the government should exercise tolerance, accept the existence of Sindh and redress the grievances of the Sindhi people, before it was too late. They said it was better that the people of Sindh, who believed in peace, logic and open debates on issues, should be taken seriously by the establishment which was under the influence of the Punjab and was trying to give the international community the impression that the people of Sindh. Indus is already short of required irrigation water, how can another project be started on the same river which is the main source of water supply to the province. Written By Aziz Sanghur